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THE DEMON LOVER
Produced by James Lion
Directed by Mike Tristano
Written by T. Martin Smith
Edited by James Tucker
Director of Photography - Craig IncardoneMark Stevenson - Neil DeLama
Jenny Harris - Ashlie Rhey
Ben Harris - Steven Woglom
Tom - Joe Estevez
Lt. Walsh - Robert Z'Dar
Marilyn Stevenson - Michelle BauerYou'll find this one billed on the Rounds Entertainment website as being "Erotic Action". That's an wildly misleading description as there's no action in this movie whatsoever. What you do have is an "Erotic Horror" film, with a serious emphasis on the "Erotic." You have four beautiful actresses who spend a good bit of their time naked in various states of b-movie exploitation, including the obligatory shower scene, mirror scene, and numerous rolling-around-on-the-bed-for-no-other-purpose-than-to-flaunt-the-work-of-my-plastic-surgeon scenes.
Yep, this one's a keeper.
For the story, director Mike Tristano blends THE EXORCIST with the Julia Robert's vehicle SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY to create a tale of a neglected housewife, Jenny Harris, whose husband is cheating with a local police officer's wife. With their spouses' adultery bringing them together, Jenny and officer Mark Stevenson form a close bond of friendship as they come to terms with the impending destruction of their marriages.
Sexually frustrated, Jenny seeks consol with her small group of friends. It turns out the new girl next door is a demon trying to bring her brother to this plain of existence. Since Jenny isn't getting any at home, she is the perfect candidate for ...(drum role please) ...
...THE DEMON LOVER.
At this point things became a bit confusing. I wasn't sure if the invisible demon needed to impregnate Jenny with his supernatural seed or if he just liked massaging the bodies of voluptuous models to the point where they would simulate masturbation for the camera. Either plot device serves its purpose, and would fit it equally well with what the filmmakers were trying to do, but the unstated nature of the ambiguous attacks bother me greatly. In films such as THE ENTITY, where Barbara Hershey is raped by a ghost, there's nothing remotely erotic or stimulating about the creature's intentions. Rape is rape and that's all there is to it. In this movie, Jenny seems to get off her visitor as much as he's getting off on her. It films like a horror fanboy's rape fantasy more than it does a serious horror effort.
But I digress...
Jenny's violently abusive husband, Ben, doesn't much like coming home to a bed filled with spiritual afterglow. When he decides to lay the smackdown on poor Jenny, the demon proves there's more to him than touchy-feely demonic goodness. Eventually, those closest to Jenny and her pain start to fall prey to...
...THE DEMON LOVER.
(I'm sorry, I just like the way the title roles off my lips. Now as you start to repeat the title to yourself, substitute "the" with "I'm a" or "she's a" and you'll begin to see how much fun you can have with the title. Juvenile, but fun.)
The story is standard, as far as these things go, but the technical skills of the filmmakers far outweighs most of the amateur productions I see. These guys didn't just light their scenes, they gelled their lights! Imagine blue moonlight pouring through a window in an amateur production; it's almost unheard of! The results are slick and professional to the point where I suspect the filmmakers are really industry people with a hobby and a few weekends to spare.
Adding sellable name value, Tristano casts a number of B-Movie professionals is supporting roles. Michelle Bauer is the adulterous wife, Robert D'Zar is the local police lieutenant overseeing the investigation into the rash of murders, and Joe Estevez is Jenny's jerk of a boss who on bad days won't even let the girl go to lunch. Their roles are all typecast, and as the formulaic story unfolds, it's easy to see who lives and who dies. While their casting isn't inspiring, the fact that Tristano was able to afford that much talent on such a small budget is.
I applaud any filmmaker who's able to complete his project, even if I don't applaud the project itself. With this THE DEMON LOVER I'm torn, high production values don't make up for a lackluster story, but at least the filmmakers have something to show for their efforts. From what I've seen of the Rounds Entertainment library, this should be their most commercially viable title. It has everything the fans want: sex, gore, and name actors.